Award-winning Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy drowned after tubes and a paddleboard got stuck in a river obstacle, authorities say

Authorities are still searching for the body of award-winning Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy, who drowned Saturday when the tubes and paddleboard she and two others were riding on got caught on a snag as she floated on the Willamette River near Corvallis.

Pomeroy, 49, was one of three people floating on the river near Corvallis about 8:30 p.m., about 100 yards upstream from the Mary River, on buoys and a paddleboard tethered together when they caught an exposed obstacle underwater. Pomeroy was pulled underwater and was “held by the paddleboard leash,” the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said. She did not surface.

Neither the Corvallis Fire Department nor the sheriff’s office have been able to find Pomeroy’s body, despite deploying sonar, underwater cameras and drones. The search was suspended Saturday night and resumed Sunday, but has been unsuccessful.

“I am committed to finding Naomi and bringing her home to her family and loved ones,” Benton County Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall said in a statement. “I want to thank everyone involved in the search and recovery mission and their support during this difficult time.”

The two other people floating with Pomeroy survived, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said. The sheriff’s office did not identify them, but friends and family said one of them was her husband, Kyle Linden Webster.

Memorial messages flooded social media Monday and Tuesday, with friends and colleagues calling Pomeroy a “Portland culinary titan” and a culinary “rock star” who changed the face of American dining. Pomeroy was a self-taught chef who first gained fame through a pop-up restaurant in her home. She and her partner went on to open several high-profile restaurants and gain exposure in magazines and on television.

Pomeroy’s Beast restaurant was named co-Restaurant of the Year by The Oregonian in 2008. In 2013, she competed on “Top Chef Masters,” and the following year, she was named Best Chef in the Northwest by the James Beard Awards.

She is survived by her husband and daughter August. Pomeroy and her husband were scheduled to host four garden parties this month, including Thursday and Friday, in Southeast Portland, according to her latest Instagram post.

“WE WILL SEE YOU ALL AGAIN A LOT!!,” she wrote in a message announcing the June 26 dinners. “I can’t wait to cook with you again!!!”

Journalist Michael Russell contributed to this report.

— Fedor Zarkhin is a breaking news and crime reporter. He can be reached at 971-373-2905; fzarkhin@oregonian.

Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com.